US20040134692A1 - Freestanding self-propelled device for moving objects - Google Patents
Freestanding self-propelled device for moving objects Download PDFInfo
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- US20040134692A1 US20040134692A1 US10/703,056 US70305603A US2004134692A1 US 20040134692 A1 US20040134692 A1 US 20040134692A1 US 70305603 A US70305603 A US 70305603A US 2004134692 A1 US2004134692 A1 US 2004134692A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- propelled device
- self
- chassis
- drive wheel
- frame portions
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D51/00—Motor vehicles characterised by the driver not being seated
- B62D51/04—Motor vehicles characterised by the driver not being seated the driver walking
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
- A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
- A61G5/04—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs motor-driven
- A61G5/047—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs motor-driven by a modular detachable drive system
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to devices for moving objects, such as wheeled carts, beds, equipment, etc., including those used in medical, food service and industrial facilities. More particularly, this invention relates to a freestanding device that uses a single battery-powered drive wheel and can be attached to and used to move an object without significant physical effort by the operator.
- the present invention provides a freestanding self-propelled device for moving objects, such as wheeled objects.
- the self-propelled device has a single drive wheel and can be attached to and used to move carts, beds or most any other equipment currently pushed or pulled by human operators.
- the device can be operated without significant physical effort by the operator, thereby eliminating back, shoulder and wrist strain when attempting to move large objects.
- the self-propelled device includes a chassis having lower frame portions and upright frame portions that extend upward from the lower frame portions.
- An apparatus is coupled to the upright frame portions for gripping a wheeled object.
- a single drive wheel is centrally located between the lateral ends of the chassis and coupled to the chassis so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and pivotable about a substantially vertical axis.
- An electrical motor is coupled to the drive wheel to cause rotation of the drive wheel, and at least one battery is coupled to the motor for delivering electrical power to the motor.
- a tiller is pivotably coupled to the drive wheel to enable pivoting of the drive wheel about its vertical axis. The tiller comprises controls for operating the motor and the drive wheel.
- the drive wheel is centrally located between first and second sets of support wheels coupled to the lower frame portion of the chassis.
- the drive wheel and the support wheels result in the self-propelled device being freestanding.
- the drive wheel projects below the first and second sets of support wheels so that the self-propelled device is supported by the drive wheel and by only one of the sets of support wheels at any given time, thereby establishing a three-point contact with the surface supporting the self-propelled device.
- the device is further equipped with a third set of support wheels mounted to the chassis and extending aft from the aft end of the chassis, so as to inhibit tipping of the self-propelled device in an aft direction thereof.
- a significant advantage of this invention is that it can be attached to an object to be moved, such as a cart, bed, wheelchair, machine, or other equipment that may be equipped with wheels, and thereafter an operator can walk behind the device while operating the device through the controls on the tiller to move and maneuver the object.
- the device is both stable and highly maneuverable as a result of the arrangement of wheels supporting the chassis.
- the self-propelled device of this invention is capable of moving large objects while significantly reducing the risk of stress to backs, shoulders, or wrists of workers who would otherwise be required to manually move such objects.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and rear perspective views of a self-propelled device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention.
- FIG. 3 is a side view of a drive wheel carriage of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.
- FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views showing articulation of a tiller-drive fork assembly of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 show a freestanding self-propelled moving device 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention.
- the device 10 comprises a chassis 12 that has a pair of lower frame members 14 that extend in the fore and aft directions of the device 10 .
- a pair of hollow (e.g., tubular) upright frame members 16 are individually attached to the lower frame members 14 , and a laterally-extending cross bar 18 interconnects midportions of the upright frame members 16 .
- Each upright frame member 16 has an upper extremity 20 that projects above its corresponding lower frame member 14 , and a lower extremity 22 that projects below its lower frame member 14 .
- the upright frame members 16 are attached near their lower extremities 22 to their respective lower frame members 14 toward the aft end of the device 10 . Furthermore, each upright frame member 16 is inclined in the fore direction of the device 10 , preferably at an angle of about 64 degrees from horizontal, so that the lower extremity 22 of each upright frame member 16 projects in the aft direction of the device 10 .
- the lower frame members 14 are spaced apart toward the lateral extremities of the chassis 12 so as to define a space 24 therebetween.
- the lower frame members 14 When viewed from above, the lower frame members 14 have an L-shape, with a first leg of the L oriented laterally at the aft end of the device 10 .
- the second leg of the L is oriented fore and aft, with the aft end of the second leg attached to the first leg.
- a pivoting caster wheel 26 is mounted to the laterally outward end of each first leg of the lower frame members 14
- another pivoting caster wheel 26 is mounted to the fore end of each second leg of the lower frame members 14 .
- the chassis 12 is configured to have a quadrangle of four points of support defined by the wheels 26 , with the wheels 26 at the fore ends of the lower frame members being closer together than the wheels 26 at the laterally outward ends of the lower frame members 14 .
- a tray 28 is mounted to each lower frame member 14 for supporting a battery housing 30 (and a battery therein) at each of the lateral ends of the chassis 12 .
- a drag wheel 32 is shown mounted to each lower extremity 22 of the upright frame members 16 of the chassis 12 . Because the upright frame members 16 are inclined relative to the lower frame members 14 , the drag wheels 32 extend in the aft direction from the aft end of the chassis 12 and at an angle (e.g., about 64 degrees) from horizontal. As will be discussed further, the drag wheels 32 do not normally contact the surface on which the device 10 is supported, but come into contact with the surface if the device 10 is tipped in the aft direction, thereby inhibiting tipping of the device 10 .
- a T-bar 34 is shown coupled to the upright frame members 16 of the chassis 12 .
- the T-bar 34 comprises a pair of legs 36 slidably received within the upright frame members 16 , and a laterally-extending beam 38 between and interconnecting the legs 36 .
- a knob 40 is threaded into each upright frame member 16 for engagement with the legs 36 to selectively permit or prevent movement of the legs 36 within the upright frame members 16 . Because of the telescoping connection between the upright frame members 16 and the T-bar 34 , the beam 38 of the T-bar 34 can be adjusted to various heights corresponding to, for example, a patient cart, bed, ultrasound machine, etc., which can be attached to the beam 38 as discussed below.
- various other structures could be mounted to the device 10 with the telescoping connections provided by the upright frame members 16 .
- a fork lift equipped with a suitable lifting mechanism could be constructed with legs sized to telescope within the upright frame members 16 .
- FIG. 3 is an isolated side view of the drive wheel carriage 42 , and shows the carriage 42 as comprising a fork 44 and a drive wheel 46 rotatably mounted to the fork 44 .
- the fork 44 is equipped with a post 48 for pivotably mounting the wheel carriage 42 to the cross bar 18 of the chassis 12 .
- the post 48 is preferably oriented so that the wheel carriage 42 , including the fork 44 and wheel 46 , has a substantially vertical axis about which the wheel 46 is able to pivot.
- the wheel 46 is preferably able to pivot a full 180 degrees, with both pivot limits preferably coinciding with the horizontal axis of rotation of the wheel 46 being oriented in the fore-aft direction.
- the carriage 42 is preferably equipped with a suitable locking feature (not shown) that prevents the wheel 46 from pivoting about its vertical axis.
- FIG. 3 also shows an electrical motor 50 mounted to the fork 44 and coupled to the drive wheel through a chain 52 . Power for the motor 50 is provided by the batteries 30 supported on the lower frame members 14 of the chassis 12 .
- the motor 50 is preferably a 24-volt, reversible direct current electric motor. While the motor 50 is shown as coupled to the drive wheel 46 with a chain 52 , a drive belt or other suitable means could be used.
- the drive wheel 46 is much larger than the caster wheels 26 . Furthermore, the drive wheel 46 is centrally located between lateral pairs of the caster wheels 26 , and projects below the caster wheels 26 so that at any given time the self-propelled device 10 is supported by the drive wheel 46 and by only one of each pair of castor wheels 26 (i.e., the fore pair of wheels 26 located at the fore end of the device 10 , or the aft pair of wheels 26 located at the aft end of the device 10 ). As such, together the wheels 26 and 46 provide the device 10 with a three-point contact with the surface supporting the device 10 .
- the device 10 is able to stand unattended when it is not connected to a cart, bed or other object. Because the caster wheels 26 are positioned and arranged so that only two (either the fore or aft pair) are engaged at any one time, maximum downward pressure is exerted on the drive wheel 46 for traction. Furthermore, forward thrust is brought to bear on the drive wheel 46 and the aft caster wheels 26 , while reverse thrust is brought to bear on the drive wheel 46 and the two fore caster wheels 26 .
- Stability and safety are enhanced by the presence of the drag wheels 32 at the lower extremities 22 of the upright frame members 16 , particularly during forward operation when high loads and/or certain maneuvers can cause the device 10 to tilt backwards, thereby bringing the drag wheels 32 into contact with the surface on which the device 10 is supported.
- a tiller 54 that is pivotably coupled to the fork 44 .
- the device 10 can be steered by causing the drive wheel 46 to pivot about its vertical axis.
- the tiller 54 is preferably capable of being pivoted about 110 degrees relative to the fork 44 , thereby adapting to the height of the operator.
- the tiller 54 is equipped at its upper end with a handlebar 56 , on or near which controls are mounted for controlling the operation of the device 10 , including its drive wheel 46 and motor 50 .
- current to the motor 50 is preferably controlled by a potentiometer activated by thumb switches 58 (one of which is visible in FIGS.
- a computer (not shown) can be housed within one of the covers housing the batteries 30 or within the tiller 54 , through which the input from the switches 58 can be used to control the motor 50 .
- the computer provides electronic braking and fully adjustable ramp of speed and power curves in both forward and reverse directions.
- FIGS. 4 and 5 show the manner in which the tiller 54 is preferably connected to the fork 44 of the wheel carriage 42 .
- the interior of the tiller 54 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 as comprising a frame 66 that is pivotably attached with a hinge 70 to a flange 78 on the fork 44 .
- a pair of friction plates 72 and 74 are mounted to the frame 66 .
- a first plate 72 is secured to the frame 66
- the second plate 74 is coupled to the first plate 72 under a compression load induced by a fastener 76 .
- the compression load permits smooth movement of the second plate 74 relative to the first plate 72 .
- One end of the second plate 74 is coupled with a second hinge 80 to the flange 78 of the post 48 .
- pivoting of the post 48 relative to the frame 66 of the tiller 54 (and therefore pivoting of the tiller 54 relative to the post 48 ) must overcome the frictional resistance of the plates 72 and 74 .
- a gripping tool 59 is attached to the horizontal beam 38 of the T-bar 34 .
- the gripping tool 59 is shown comprising a set of upper and lower jaws 62 and 64 mounted to an arm 60 adjustably mounted to the beam 38 .
- the upper jaw 62 is immovably mounted to the arm 60 while the lower jaw 64 is movably mounted to the arm 60 for movement relative to the upper jaw 62 .
- engagement of an object with the tool 59 by upward movement of the lower jaw 64 results in a portion of the object's weight being transferred to the drive wheel 46 , thereby improving traction of the drive wheel 46 and stability of the device 10 .
- Various other types of fastening and gripping attachments can be connected to the T-bar 34 to bind the device 10 to an object intended to be moved.
- attachment to wheelchairs can be achieved by a handlebar side clamp or draw hasp attached to the beam 38 of the T-bar 34 .
- the device 10 can also be attached to equipment such as an ultrasound machine with quick release clamps, again attached to the beam 38 of the T-bar 34 .
- the operator activates the self-propelled device 10 to move forward or reverse by depressing the appropriate thumb switch 58 on the handlebar 56 of the tiller 54 , and steers the direction of the device 10 by rotating the tiller 54 with the handlebar 56 .
- the device 10 is both stable and highly maneuverable under significant loads as a result of the arrangement of the drive wheel 46 , caster wheels 26 , and drag wheel 32 supporting the chassis 12 .
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/423,749, filed Nov. 6, 2002.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention generally relates to devices for moving objects, such as wheeled carts, beds, equipment, etc., including those used in medical, food service and industrial facilities. More particularly, this invention relates to a freestanding device that uses a single battery-powered drive wheel and can be attached to and used to move an object without significant physical effort by the operator.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Movement of carts, beds and miscellaneous other equipment in medical, food service, and industrial facilities is typically done by hand. For this reason, such objects are often equipped with caster wheels that permit their relocation by pushing and pulling. However, movement in this manner can lead to physical injury to the mover, particularly in the case of large equipment. Motorized devices are desired that enable such objects to be moved safely through hallways and doors, while also being able to maneuver these objects within confined areas such as elevators.
- The present invention provides a freestanding self-propelled device for moving objects, such as wheeled objects. The self-propelled device has a single drive wheel and can be attached to and used to move carts, beds or most any other equipment currently pushed or pulled by human operators. The device can be operated without significant physical effort by the operator, thereby eliminating back, shoulder and wrist strain when attempting to move large objects.
- The self-propelled device includes a chassis having lower frame portions and upright frame portions that extend upward from the lower frame portions. An apparatus is coupled to the upright frame portions for gripping a wheeled object. A single drive wheel is centrally located between the lateral ends of the chassis and coupled to the chassis so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and pivotable about a substantially vertical axis. An electrical motor is coupled to the drive wheel to cause rotation of the drive wheel, and at least one battery is coupled to the motor for delivering electrical power to the motor. A tiller is pivotably coupled to the drive wheel to enable pivoting of the drive wheel about its vertical axis. The tiller comprises controls for operating the motor and the drive wheel.
- For stability and maneuverability of the device, the drive wheel is centrally located between first and second sets of support wheels coupled to the lower frame portion of the chassis. In combination, the drive wheel and the support wheels result in the self-propelled device being freestanding. However, the drive wheel projects below the first and second sets of support wheels so that the self-propelled device is supported by the drive wheel and by only one of the sets of support wheels at any given time, thereby establishing a three-point contact with the surface supporting the self-propelled device. The device is further equipped with a third set of support wheels mounted to the chassis and extending aft from the aft end of the chassis, so as to inhibit tipping of the self-propelled device in an aft direction thereof.
- In view of the above, it can be seen that a significant advantage of this invention is that it can be attached to an object to be moved, such as a cart, bed, wheelchair, machine, or other equipment that may be equipped with wheels, and thereafter an operator can walk behind the device while operating the device through the controls on the tiller to move and maneuver the object. The device is both stable and highly maneuverable as a result of the arrangement of wheels supporting the chassis. As such, the self-propelled device of this invention is capable of moving large objects while significantly reducing the risk of stress to backs, shoulders, or wrists of workers who would otherwise be required to manually move such objects.
- Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and rear perspective views of a self-propelled device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention.
- FIG. 3 is a side view of a drive wheel carriage of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.
- FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views showing articulation of a tiller-drive fork assembly of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 show a freestanding self-propelled moving
device 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention. As shown in the Figures, thedevice 10 comprises achassis 12 that has a pair oflower frame members 14 that extend in the fore and aft directions of thedevice 10. A pair of hollow (e.g., tubular)upright frame members 16 are individually attached to thelower frame members 14, and a laterally-extendingcross bar 18 interconnects midportions of theupright frame members 16. Eachupright frame member 16 has anupper extremity 20 that projects above its correspondinglower frame member 14, and alower extremity 22 that projects below itslower frame member 14. Theupright frame members 16 are attached near theirlower extremities 22 to their respectivelower frame members 14 toward the aft end of thedevice 10. Furthermore, eachupright frame member 16 is inclined in the fore direction of thedevice 10, preferably at an angle of about 64 degrees from horizontal, so that thelower extremity 22 of eachupright frame member 16 projects in the aft direction of thedevice 10. Thelower frame members 14 are spaced apart toward the lateral extremities of thechassis 12 so as to define a space 24 therebetween. - When viewed from above, the
lower frame members 14 have an L-shape, with a first leg of the L oriented laterally at the aft end of thedevice 10. The second leg of the L is oriented fore and aft, with the aft end of the second leg attached to the first leg. A pivotingcaster wheel 26 is mounted to the laterally outward end of each first leg of thelower frame members 14, while another pivotingcaster wheel 26 is mounted to the fore end of each second leg of thelower frame members 14. As such, thechassis 12 is configured to have a quadrangle of four points of support defined by thewheels 26, with thewheels 26 at the fore ends of the lower frame members being closer together than thewheels 26 at the laterally outward ends of thelower frame members 14. - A
tray 28 is mounted to eachlower frame member 14 for supporting a battery housing 30 (and a battery therein) at each of the lateral ends of thechassis 12. Finally, adrag wheel 32 is shown mounted to eachlower extremity 22 of theupright frame members 16 of thechassis 12. Because theupright frame members 16 are inclined relative to thelower frame members 14, thedrag wheels 32 extend in the aft direction from the aft end of thechassis 12 and at an angle (e.g., about 64 degrees) from horizontal. As will be discussed further, thedrag wheels 32 do not normally contact the surface on which thedevice 10 is supported, but come into contact with the surface if thedevice 10 is tipped in the aft direction, thereby inhibiting tipping of thedevice 10. - A T-
bar 34 is shown coupled to theupright frame members 16 of thechassis 12. The T-bar 34 comprises a pair oflegs 36 slidably received within theupright frame members 16, and a laterally-extendingbeam 38 between and interconnecting thelegs 36. Aknob 40 is threaded into eachupright frame member 16 for engagement with thelegs 36 to selectively permit or prevent movement of thelegs 36 within theupright frame members 16. Because of the telescoping connection between theupright frame members 16 and the T-bar 34, thebeam 38 of the T-bar 34 can be adjusted to various heights corresponding to, for example, a patient cart, bed, ultrasound machine, etc., which can be attached to thebeam 38 as discussed below. In addition to the T-bar 34, various other structures could be mounted to thedevice 10 with the telescoping connections provided by theupright frame members 16. For example, a fork lift equipped with a suitable lifting mechanism could be constructed with legs sized to telescope within theupright frame members 16. - Located within the space24 between the
lower frame members 14 of thechassis 12 is adrive wheel carriage 42. FIG. 3 is an isolated side view of thedrive wheel carriage 42, and shows thecarriage 42 as comprising afork 44 and adrive wheel 46 rotatably mounted to thefork 44. Thefork 44 is equipped with apost 48 for pivotably mounting thewheel carriage 42 to thecross bar 18 of thechassis 12. Thepost 48 is preferably oriented so that thewheel carriage 42, including thefork 44 andwheel 46, has a substantially vertical axis about which thewheel 46 is able to pivot. Thewheel 46 is preferably able to pivot a full 180 degrees, with both pivot limits preferably coinciding with the horizontal axis of rotation of thewheel 46 being oriented in the fore-aft direction. For storage, thecarriage 42 is preferably equipped with a suitable locking feature (not shown) that prevents thewheel 46 from pivoting about its vertical axis. FIG. 3 also shows anelectrical motor 50 mounted to thefork 44 and coupled to the drive wheel through achain 52. Power for themotor 50 is provided by thebatteries 30 supported on thelower frame members 14 of thechassis 12. Themotor 50 is preferably a 24-volt, reversible direct current electric motor. While themotor 50 is shown as coupled to thedrive wheel 46 with achain 52, a drive belt or other suitable means could be used. - As evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, the
drive wheel 46 is much larger than thecaster wheels 26. Furthermore, thedrive wheel 46 is centrally located between lateral pairs of thecaster wheels 26, and projects below thecaster wheels 26 so that at any given time the self-propelleddevice 10 is supported by thedrive wheel 46 and by only one of each pair of castor wheels 26 (i.e., the fore pair ofwheels 26 located at the fore end of thedevice 10, or the aft pair ofwheels 26 located at the aft end of the device 10). As such, together thewheels device 10 with a three-point contact with the surface supporting thedevice 10. Because thedrive wheel 46 is placed centrally amid the four points of support defined by thecaster wheels 26, thedevice 10 is able to stand unattended when it is not connected to a cart, bed or other object. Because thecaster wheels 26 are positioned and arranged so that only two (either the fore or aft pair) are engaged at any one time, maximum downward pressure is exerted on thedrive wheel 46 for traction. Furthermore, forward thrust is brought to bear on thedrive wheel 46 and theaft caster wheels 26, while reverse thrust is brought to bear on thedrive wheel 46 and the twofore caster wheels 26. Stability and safety are enhanced by the presence of thedrag wheels 32 at thelower extremities 22 of theupright frame members 16, particularly during forward operation when high loads and/or certain maneuvers can cause thedevice 10 to tilt backwards, thereby bringing thedrag wheels 32 into contact with the surface on which thedevice 10 is supported. - Operation and maneuvering of the self-propelled
device 10 are through atiller 54 that is pivotably coupled to thefork 44. With thetiller 54, thedevice 10 can be steered by causing thedrive wheel 46 to pivot about its vertical axis. Thetiller 54 is preferably capable of being pivoted about 110 degrees relative to thefork 44, thereby adapting to the height of the operator. Thetiller 54 is equipped at its upper end with ahandlebar 56, on or near which controls are mounted for controlling the operation of thedevice 10, including itsdrive wheel 46 andmotor 50. For example, current to themotor 50 is preferably controlled by a potentiometer activated by thumb switches 58 (one of which is visible in FIGS. 1 and 2) located adjacent thehandlebar 56. A computer (not shown) can be housed within one of the covers housing thebatteries 30 or within thetiller 54, through which the input from theswitches 58 can be used to control themotor 50. In a preferred embodiment, the computer provides electronic braking and fully adjustable ramp of speed and power curves in both forward and reverse directions. - FIGS. 4 and 5 show the manner in which the
tiller 54 is preferably connected to thefork 44 of thewheel carriage 42. The interior of thetiller 54 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 as comprising aframe 66 that is pivotably attached with ahinge 70 to aflange 78 on thefork 44. A pair offriction plates frame 66. Afirst plate 72 is secured to theframe 66, while thesecond plate 74 is coupled to thefirst plate 72 under a compression load induced by afastener 76. The compression load permits smooth movement of thesecond plate 74 relative to thefirst plate 72. One end of thesecond plate 74 is coupled with asecond hinge 80 to theflange 78 of thepost 48. As evident from comparing FIGS. 4 and 5, pivoting of thepost 48 relative to theframe 66 of the tiller 54 (and therefore pivoting of thetiller 54 relative to the post 48) must overcome the frictional resistance of theplates - As seen in FIG. 1, a gripping
tool 59 is attached to thehorizontal beam 38 of the T-bar 34. The grippingtool 59 is shown comprising a set of upper andlower jaws arm 60 adjustably mounted to thebeam 38. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, theupper jaw 62 is immovably mounted to thearm 60 while thelower jaw 64 is movably mounted to thearm 60 for movement relative to theupper jaw 62. In this manner, engagement of an object with thetool 59 by upward movement of thelower jaw 64 results in a portion of the object's weight being transferred to thedrive wheel 46, thereby improving traction of thedrive wheel 46 and stability of thedevice 10. - Various other types of fastening and gripping attachments can be connected to the T-
bar 34 to bind thedevice 10 to an object intended to be moved. For example, attachment to wheelchairs can be achieved by a handlebar side clamp or draw hasp attached to thebeam 38 of the T-bar 34. Thedevice 10 can also be attached to equipment such as an ultrasound machine with quick release clamps, again attached to thebeam 38 of the T-bar 34. - In use, the operator activates the self-propelled
device 10 to move forward or reverse by depressing theappropriate thumb switch 58 on thehandlebar 56 of thetiller 54, and steers the direction of thedevice 10 by rotating thetiller 54 with thehandlebar 56. Thedevice 10 is both stable and highly maneuverable under significant loads as a result of the arrangement of thedrive wheel 46,caster wheels 26, anddrag wheel 32 supporting thechassis 12. - While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, For example, the device could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiment shown in the Figures, and various materials could be used in its construction. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
Claims (18)
Priority Applications (1)
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US10/703,056 US6938711B2 (en) | 2002-11-06 | 2003-11-06 | Freestanding self-propelled device for moving objects |
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US42374902P | 2002-11-06 | 2002-11-06 | |
US10/703,056 US6938711B2 (en) | 2002-11-06 | 2003-11-06 | Freestanding self-propelled device for moving objects |
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US20040134692A1 true US20040134692A1 (en) | 2004-07-15 |
US6938711B2 US6938711B2 (en) | 2005-09-06 |
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US20070289787A1 (en) * | 2005-02-25 | 2007-12-20 | Dane Industries, Inc. | Wheelchair transporter |
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US20090266750A1 (en) * | 2008-04-28 | 2009-10-29 | Josef Dagn | Device for siphoning off fuel from a reservoir |
US20100078905A1 (en) * | 2008-09-23 | 2010-04-01 | Paul David Holtan | Cart moving machine |
US8684373B2 (en) | 2008-09-23 | 2014-04-01 | Dane Technologies, Inc. | Cart moving machine |
US9010771B2 (en) | 2009-11-10 | 2015-04-21 | Dane Technologies, Inc. | Utility machine with dual-mode steering |
US9393978B2 (en) * | 2009-11-10 | 2016-07-19 | Dane Technologies, Inc. | Utility machine with dual-mode steering |
US20150183449A1 (en) * | 2009-11-10 | 2015-07-02 | Dane Technologies, Inc. | Utility Machine with Dual-Mode Steering |
GB2510082A (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2014-07-23 | Mobot Ind Ltd | A lifting apparatus with two independent drive wheels |
CN104039679A (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2014-09-10 | 机器人工业有限公司 | A lifting apparatus |
WO2013058666A2 (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2013-04-25 | Mobot Industries Limited | A lifting apparatus |
WO2013058666A3 (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2013-06-27 | Mobot Industries Limited | A lifting apparatus with two independent drive wheels |
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US20150344276A1 (en) * | 2014-05-28 | 2015-12-03 | Harlan Greenfield | Wheelchair Accessible Forklift |
US10023447B2 (en) * | 2014-05-28 | 2018-07-17 | Harlan Greenfield | Wheelchair accessible forklift |
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CN115012623A (en) * | 2021-03-04 | 2022-09-06 | 广东博智林机器人有限公司 | Panel is spread and is pasted equipment |
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